This invention relates to wrenches and, more particularly, to wrenches employing translatable jaws preformed to mate with a fastener or other object to be gripped, the jaws being driven by an overcenter linkage and a pivoting handle.
It is common practice in manufacturing processes, such as those utilizing fasteners including hex nuts and hex bolts, to hold the fasteners with open end or box wrenches of fixed size, or to hold the fasteners with an adjustable wrench having pivoting biting jaws which may be actuated via an overcenter linkage as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,280,005 of Peterson.
In either the fixed or adjustable form of wrench, a problem arises in that the gripping of the fastener, or other object which is to be gripped, is accomplished in a less than optimal fashion. If a fixed preformed wrench, such as the open-end wrench for hex nuts, is employed, then a different sized wrench is required for each size of fastener which is to be utilized in a manufacturing process. If a wrench with adjustable biting jaws is employed, the teeth of the jaws may slip about the fastener or may gouge the surface of the fastener.